Sunak: Our strikes on the Houthis were successful

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said his government believed all intended targets had been destroyed in US-led strikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels last week, AFP reported.
The British leader also told lawmakers that there were no reports of civilian casualties from the joint strikes that had been carried out.
"Today I can tell the House of Commons that our initial assessment is that all 13 planned targets have been destroyed," Sunak said during an address to parliament, describing the strikes as "successful".
He added that nine buildings were "successfully hit" at the drone and cruise missile base in the northwestern Yemeni city of Bani.
Three other buildings were hit at Abbs Airport, and a cruise missile launcher was also hit.
"So far we have seen no evidence of civilian casualties, which we have tried very hard to avoid," Sunak added.
Sunak's comments were his first to parliament on the strikes, which have been criticized by old enemies Iran and Russia, but also by NATO member Turkey.
The UK leader justified the strikes as a "necessary and proportionate response" to threats to British shipping from Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
He hinted that more may follow. "We remain ready to back up our words with action," Sunak said.
Despite the strikes, the Houthis continue to attack ships.
At a press briefing, Downing Street said it was "too early to determine" the full impact of the strikes.
"We never claimed that one action would put an immediate end to this," the prime minister's official spokesman said.
The Houthis say their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea are in solidarity with Gaza, where Hamas has been fighting Israel for more than three months.
Sunak said it was a "malicious narrative" and that the Houthis had attacked ships "from all over the world". /BGNES